LIONSGATE & MILLENNIUM FILMS
PRESENT
A NU IMAGE PRODUCTION
A FILM IBY SYLVESTER STALLONE
Sylvester sTALLONE
Jason STATHAM
And Jet LI
THE
EXPENDAIBLES
DOLPH LUNDGREN ERIC ROIBERTS RANDY COUTURE
STEVE AUSTIN DAVID ZAYAS GISELLE ITIE
CHARISMA CARPENTER GARY DANIELS
WITH TERRY CREWS AND Mickey ROURKE
CASTING BY DEBORAH AQUILA, C.S.A. AND TRICIA WOOD, C.S.A. MUSIC BY BRIAN TYLER
EDITED BY KEN BLACKWELL AND PAUL HARB COSTUME DESIGNER LIZZ WOLF
PRODUCTION DESIGNER FRANCO-GIACOMO CARBONE DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY JEFFREY KIMBALL, A.S.C.
CO-PRODUCERS ROBERT EARL MATT O’TOOLE
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS DANNY DIMBORT BOAZ DAVIDSON TREVOR SHORT LES WELDON
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS JON FELTHEIMER JASON CONSTANTINE EDA KOWAN BASIL IWANYK
GUYMON CASADY
PRODUCED BY AVI LERNER JOHN THOMPSON AND KEVIN KING TEMPLETON
STORY BY DAVID CALLAHAM SCREENPLAY BY DAVID CALLAHAM AND SYLVESTER STALLONE
DIRECTED BY SYLVESTER STALLONE
©2010 ALTA VISTA PRODUCTIONS, INC.
SYNOPSIS
Expendable: capable of being sacrificed in order to accomplish a military
objective.
The Expendables is the hard-hitting action thriller about a group of mercenaries
hired to infiltrate a South American country and overthrow its ruthless dictator. Once
the mission begins the men realize things aren’t as they appear, finding themselves
caught in a dangerous web of deceit and betrayal. With their mission thwarted and an
innocent life in danger the men struggle with an even tougher challenge; the one that
threatens to destroy this band of brothers.
Barney Ross (SYLVESTER STALLONE) is a man with nothing to lose. Fearless
and void of emotion he is the leader, the sage and the strategist of this tight knit band of
men who live on the fringe. His only attachment is to his pickup truck, his seaplane, and
his team of loyal modern day warriors. He is a true cynic who describes what he does
as “removing those hard to get at stains”. The team behind him is made up of Lee
Christmas (JASON STATHAM), former SAS and a savant with anything that has a
blade, Yin Yang (JET LI), a master at close quarter combat, Hale Caesar (TERRY
CREWS), who has known Barney for 10 years and is a long barrel weapons specialist,
Toll Road (RANDY COUTURE), a skilled demolitions expert and considered the intellect
of the group and Gunnar Jensen (DOLPH LUNDGREN), a combat veteran and an
expert in precision sniping who struggles with his own demons.
When the mysterious Church (TBD) offers Barney a job no one else would take,
Barney and his team of expendables embark on what appears to be a routine mission;
over throw General Gaza (DAVID ZAYAS), the murderous dictator of the small island
country of Vilena and end the years of death and destruction inflicted on its people. On
a reconnaissance mission to Vilena, Barney and Christmas meet their contact, Sandra
(GISELLE ITIE), a local freedom fighter with a dark secret. They also come to learn
who their true enemy is; rogue ex-CIA operative James Monroe (ERIC ROBERTS) and
his henchman Paine (STEVE AUSTIN). When things go terribly wrong, Barney and
Christmas are forced to leave Sandra behind, essentially giving her a death sentence.
Haunted by this failure Barney convinces the team to return to Vilena to rescue the
hostage and finish the job he started. And to perhaps save a soul... his own.
AIBOUT THE PRODUCTION
When Sylvester Stallone put pen to paper, (he writes long hand, no typewriter or
computer) he envisioned The Expendables as a teeth grinding action film that was both
relevant and poignant; a story with a theme the audience would respond to. “I wanted
to revisit a certain kind of feeling, a certain kind of film making, a certain kind of
mentality,” explains Stallone. “A story about men that were out of sync with the world
but who lived their lives by a certain code. They don't have families, their personal lives
are a train wreck - all they have is each other. I wanted to give the audience a glimpse
into the hearts of these men." For inspiration, Stallone used old school action films like
The Dirty Dozen and Dogs of War as his model. Movies where men were men, combat
was mano a mano and the story was believable.
Action is secondary for Sly,” explains Kevin King, Stallone’s long time producer
and confidant. “For him the script must have heart and story. Those are the two main
things he has taught me. If you don’t have heart, you don’t have story which means you
don’t have a movie. For Sly it’s not just blowing something up,” he adds. And while the
action in a Stallone film can hit critical mass, in The Expendables the story trumped all.
Over the next several months, as Sly continued to flush out the story he kept
coming back to theme of redemption and the need to reveal the emotional core of each
character. He wanted to explore the pathos of living life on the precipice by exposing
their fears and weaknesses. But Stallone also was keenly aware that as a writer and
director he was entering uncharted territory with this script. He didn’t have a known
entity like a Rambo or Rocky character to draw upon, therefore the mythology of The
Expendables had to build from the ground up. He was also writing for an ensemble
cast, the likes, which has rarely been captured on film.
On top of it all, his role of
Barney Ross, was both physically and emotionally challenging.
Producer Avi Lerner saw the making of The Expendables as yet another
formidable challenge in a career defined by them. “Sly is a risk-taker and he always has
been,” says Lerner. “The first Rocky was a risk for him. So was the first Rambo. And
now, to create a new character, to get into the physical condition he’s in, to direct and
handle this amazing cast and difficult locations; they're all risks. His career is full of
taking risks and that's what makes him such an icon. He's not afraid.”
By the time Stallone had a shooting script he was happy with, he had written over
100 drafts, completely reworked the direction of the film and either cut or drastically
reworked major characters. Throughout the writing process, Stallone had Jet Li and
Jason Statham in mind for the roles of Yang and Christmas. He hadn’t worked with
either one of them but was a fan of their work and knew what they were capable of. For
Sly, having martial arts icon Jet Li in the film was a no brainer. Without ever meeting
Stallone face to face, Li signed on to play Expendable Yin Yang, a VietnameseAmerican trying to live a skewed version of the American Dream. A close quarter
combatant who could fly through the air in attack mode, before his opponents knew
what hit them, Li plays Yang with quiet intensity. “My character is very straight forward,
very simple,” says Li. “He constantly thinks about making money so that he can have a
real life with a real family. He has a dream.”
In Statham, an international action star in his own right, Stallone saw untapped
potential. “It was a bit of a gamble to cast Jason,” admits Stallone, “because you never
know if the chemistry is going to work. He comes from a totally different culture than me
and he is certainly a lot younger. Privately, I saw a side to him that had not been
tapped on film and I wanted to use that to expand his character. I wanted him to have a
sense of optimism.” Even though Christmas is a knife wielding killing machine, he
wears his heart on his sleeve and struggles as his relationship with girlfriend Lacey,
played by Charisma Carpenter, goes up in flames. “I really liked the concept of these
regular guys with all these insecurities and problems of their own”, Statham points out,
“and at the same time when they’re put in these situations, they need to be focused and
kick ass, as they say.”
From that point on casting became pretty free form as Stallone looked for
interesting and unique individuals with unique talents. Oscar winning actors Forest
Whitaker and Sir Ben Kingsley were tapped for key roles but as the story and
characters continued to take on a life of their own, changes were made. At one point,
rapper Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson was considered until Stallone became concerned he
may be going too far in the wrong direction and once again changed course. In the end,
Eric Roberts and Terry Crews won the roles.
Crews, best known for his comedic roles in film and television, clearly remembers
the day he got the call that Sylvester Stallone wanted to meet with him for a role. “I was
flabbergasted and excited,” gushes Crews. “For me, working with Stallone was the
realization of a childhood fantasy. I was honored.”
For Dolph Lundgren, winning the role of Gunnar Jensen was a homecoming of
sorts. 25 years after tearing up the screen as Russian fighter Ivan Drago, in Rocky IV,
Lundgren found himself once again going toe to toe with Stallone. And while he has
enjoyed a long and varied career including directing his own features, Lundgren saw the
role of Gunnar as a way of reinventing himself. “Stallone created my career with the
Ivan Drago character,” muses Lundgren. “Now here I am, a little bit older and once
again Sly has created a multi-faceted character who is larger than life and kind of iconic.
A more complex character that will hopefully allow the audience a chance to see me in
a different light.”
Describing his character as “a crazy son of a bitch”, Gunnar is Barney’s best
friend and fellow Expendable who can’t control his impulses. Too much combat stress
and excessive behavior and a little bit of drugs all contribute to his downward spiral. For
Lundgren, tapping into the emotional core wasn’t the hard part... it was hitting the
humorous beats Stallone injects into every script that caused Lundgren to worry. “I
don’t mind killing people or crying,” laughs Lundgren, “but at 4 in the morning when I’m
burned out emotionally don’t ask me to be funny.”
Looking for an athlete with fighting skills and star presence was utmost in
Stallone’s mind when casting the role of Toll Road, the thinker of the group who exudes
sheer brute force. He found all of it and more in Mixed Martial Arts champion, Randy
Couture. “Randy provided a face and a look that is a roadmap to confrontation, battle,
discipline, pain,” says Stallone. “Masculine with a glimpse of sensitivity in the eyes.”
Couture who sports a ‘cauliflower ear’ caused by 20+ years of wrestling had to put that
sensitivity to the test when Stallone wrote a monologue about the ear. “The monologue
was in some ways easy for me,” relates Couture, “because I was telling the truth. Every
wrestler I know will be laughing when they see the scene.”
Stallone then turned to his old friend, Mickey Rourke, to play the small but pivotal
role of Tool, the weary former Expendable who now runs the business of brokering
clandestine missions out of his storefront tattoo shop. The shop serves as the de facto
headquarters for the guys, a place where souls are bared, truths are told and where a
sense of camaraderie and belonging prevails. It is also where the team begins to
unravel after Barney decides to take a job the rest of the team sees as suicide.
At first glance, Tool seems to have his life under control, but the reality is his life
has been a segue way into disappointment. In a ‘moment of truth’ scene with Barney, it
is Tool who ignites a spark of humanity Barney forgot he had. “I’m suffering the pangs
of hell,” says Stallone, “I’ve basically lost my humanity.”
Mickey Rourke, who reintroduced himself to the world in 2008 with a tour de
force turn in The Wrestler, and Stallone go back a long way. “I’m a little older than him,
but we sort of grew up in the business together,” explains Stallone. “We’ve had our ups
and downs, know the ins and outs of our lives. He’s a very sensitive and unique guy,
and I thought if he could bring some of that uniqueness to the character of Tool, it would
be off the charts.“
The Expendables was finally taking shape. As an actor, Stallone knew he had to
allow the cast to bring their individuality to each role. As a director, he also understood
the importance of tailoring ideas to maximize the skills and talents of each individual
actor. “Each of them were stars in their own right,” explains Stallone, “and needed to be
served equally.” “But,” he continues, “I have to say they all came to the table and put
their egos aside. Everyone was on board to give 100% to the role. They made my job
easy.”
Lundgren applauds Stallone for his willingness to collaborate. “When I got the
script Gunnar was a totally different guy,” recalls Lundgren. “He didn’t figure as much
into the story. After meeting with Sly a couple of times, we came up with other ideas.
Personally I’m a shy person, I stay in the background and let everybody else run around
so Sly wrote that into the character.”
The last piece of the puzzle was filling the role of Sandra, the woman Barney and
Christmas leave in jeopardy in Vilena when their reconnaissance mission turns bad.
Sandra, who unknowingly becomes the catalyst for Barney’s change of heart had to be
tough, intelligent, beautiful and able to hold her own in a film dominated by testosterone.
Brazilian actress, Giselle Itie (pronounced Eet she), who had studied boxing and jiu jitsu
but had never done an action film, won the role after a worldwide casting call.
For the all-important supporting roles, Stallone called on the versatility of actor
Eric Roberts for rogue ex-CIA agent Monroe, a man caught up in a trap of his own
design. Roberts brings a steely coldness to the soulless Monroe.
For the role of
henchman and Monroe sidekick, Paine, Stallone brought in former pro wrestler Steve
Austin. “When I watched Sly direct Eric Roberts”, remember Austin, “he knows exactly
what he’s looking for, knows exactly what he wants his actors to do, how he wants them
to do it, and he tells them. He’s very clear in his direction and vision.”
When shooting a film of this size and scope like The Expendables there were
bound to be some problems; those problems can multiply when shooting in a foreign
country, especially one that doesn't have the infrastructure in place to deal with the
problems associated with a film of this scale. With The Expendables, the producers had
to deal with logistically difficult locations, communication and language problems,
assimilating with local crew members and adapting to local cultures and customs.
Acknowledging some growing pains while shooting in Brazil, producer Les Weldon
emphasizes that Brazil provided a great backdrop and just the look the filmmakers
needed to create the fictitious island of Vilena. “Filming in Brazil is without question a
challenging experience on many levels,” says Weldon, “but the architecture, the
landscape with the fishing villages and jungles and the uniqueness of the people
provided us a look we couldn’t find anywhere else.” And often it is the unpredictability of
mother nature that presents the biggest challenge to a production. In Brazil it wasn’t
unusual for a monsoon like downpour to whip up without notice, causing delays in
production. Heat and humidity were also factors with temperatures often topping 110
degrees, with humidity almost as high. Those conditions are tough on the cast, crew
and even the equipment.
It all paid off the night Sly, Jet, Jason, Randy and Terry, dressed in SWAT gab
and heavily armed walked onto the set to shoot their first scene together. “I felt like I’d
been invited into the League of Super Heroes,” laughs Crews. “I think everyone in the
cast was a little star struck, including myself,” says Lundgren. “When you see us on
screen together, I think you will see a little extra electricity.”
Brazil also provided Production Designer Franco Carbone with a facade that
matched Stallone’s vision of General Garza’s palace. Carbone scouted hundreds of
locations looking for a majestic piece of architecture before he settled on the 1920s
chateau style mansion that serves as the centerpiece for Parque Lage, a public park
situated at the base of the Corcovado, the mountain where the statue of Christ stands.
This beautiful park, with its English-style gardens and little lakes provided the perfect
backdrop for Garza, the villainous dictator played by character actor, David Zayas.
After a month of shooting in Brazil and a two week hiatus, the company moved to
New Orleans where filming commenced at the Louisiana Film Studios in Harahan.
“New Orleans is an interesting location,” explains Producer Avi Lerner. “It has culture,
history and excellent talent to draw from. It was the perfect fit for us.”
As in Brazil, a majority of filming in New Orleans required practical locations.
And here too, the weather was a factor. While shooting at Fort McComb, a series of
catacombs built in the early 1800’s and used by the Confederate army early in the Civil
War before being taken over by the Union army, a 3-day torrential downpour flooded the
location resulting in the loss of shooting days. In the end, New Orleans delivered what it
promised, character and color.
Once filming began, it became clear that anything less than total commitment
would not be enough. Everyone was acutely aware they had to follow the director’s
lead, keep up the pace and get the job done. And they had to be flexible. “Sly is a
visionary,” offers Producer John Thompson, “he doesn’t use shot lists. He decides what
he wants to do on the day, which makes it a very fluid process. I have never seen
somebody with that level of detail.” While Sly knows every shot down to the smallest
detail, he is known to keep a lot of it in his head until it is ready to hatch. The cast and
the crew had to be ready for anything. “In a way,” continues Thompson, “it became kind
of a circus, where we were constantly juggling to ensure everyone was ready. It was a
huge challenge.” For Randy Couture, one of the most interesting aspects of playing Toll
Road was how in the moment Sly was when directing. “It’s not do as I say,” states
Couture, “it’s this is where you are, this is how you feel and this is everything you are
about.” “The payoff”, he adds, “it makes you a better actor.”
Stallone, who often used as many as five cameras and a steady-cam to fully
capture the scope of the action sequences, relied on Director of Photography, Jeffrey
Kimball, when determining the overall style and structure of the frame.
To choreograph and implement the complicated and often dangerous stunts, Sly
brought in Supervising Stunt Coordinator Chad Stahelski. They had worked together on
Rambo 4 and Stahelski understood Sly’s style of working and the importance of letting
the action bring out the esthetic of a scene rather than just the violence of it. With
action sequences that were varied and specific, Stahelsi needed to recruit stunt
specialists from all over the United States. Once the style of action was determined,
their job was to give the director options. “Sly is very creative on the day and very
collaborative,” explains Stahelski, “so we try to show him what is possible while still
keeping safety in mind. Then he chooses the direction he wants go in.” But Stahelski’s
hardest job was saying no to some of the baddest guys in the business. A case in
point, while filming the huge battle in the palace courtyard with The Expendables
storming the palace, Terry Crews must navigate an enormous explosion and a ball of
fire. Even though Crews was game to run into a ball of fire, Stahelski saw it as putting
an actor in jeopardy for no reason. “The shot was spectacular without the potential for
injury,” says Stahelski, “and once we explained that to him he understood. We didn’t
compromise the shot and we didn’t put the actor in peril,” he adds. “It’s a win win
situation.”
When Sly met with his stunt department to work out details for the scene with
Barney and Christmas fleeing for their lives in a 1950’s Albatross seaplane he wanted to
explore the idea of creating an action hero cinematic moment. “I suggested instead of
just a fuel drop that we put Jason in the nose of the plane,” says Stallone, “and the room
fell silent.” Stallone believed they could make it happen if Jason was game. When
Stallone approached him about the idea, Jason immediately loved it. “Sly does all of his
stunts and he really bashes himself senseless and bashes everybody around in a
realistic, believable way,” states Statham, “and unless it comes across that way he
doesn’t want to put it in the film... and that’s music to my ears.” After consulting with
famed aerial coordinator Fred North, who assessed the plane’s mechanical and
logistical capabilities, and after safety issues were addressed, Stallone was about to get
his cinematic moment.
With several cameras rolling, Jason was safe-tied into the nose of the seaplane
that flew a hundred feet in the air through billowing smoke and flames. “He was
sensational,” beams Stallone, “I know he will underplay what he did but it was
dangerous and he was very, very game”.
The scene could have been shot using ‘movie magic’ but Sly insisted on going
back to a simpler time and called upon his actors to do most of their own stunts so the
film did not become dependent on technology. “I wanted to shoot it with brains and
brawn, not modern technology,” explains Stallone, known for his attention to detail and
his aversion to over enhancing a scene with CGI. He wanted The Expendables to be all
about keeping things as real as possible when it came to stunts. “He hates CGI and he
uses very little of it,” says King emphatically. “Most of what you see on screen is real
and the CGI is used as it should be, to enhance.”
An admitted adrenaline junkie, Stallone managed to save a little bit of the action
for himself. As Christmas gets the plane airborne, Barney, pursued by Garza’s army,
has no choice but to dive off a floating dock onto the ascending aircraft. With the plane
throwing gusts of 30-40mph, Stallone was literally blown into a horizontal position. “I
didn’t plan on it being quite as intense.” admits Stallone. “It turned into a very dangerous
stunt.”
Not one to sit back and let the guys do all the work, Giselle Itie insisted on doing
the disturbingly realistic water-boarding scene. She’s a purist,” says Stallone. “She
definitely has her heart in action.” On the day it was shot, Itie spent hours lying prone
on a board with a sponge and a towel over her mouth while water was poured down her
throat.
“We created an actual torture chamber,” says Kevin King.
“It was a very
claustrophobic set.” To prepare emotionally for the scene Itie did her homework. “I
researched how it feels for the person being tortured because I wanted to understand
the sensation of suffocating and the choking. I wanted to understand the emotions in
that situation. It was a very exciting challenge and I couldn't wait to shoot it,” she adds
with a smile.
The Expendables were all experts with various types of combat weapons so
having the biggest and the baddest was a major concern for the director. In the AA-12
shotgun, labeled the most powerful weapon in the world by enthusiasts, Stallone found
what he was looking for.
Designed in 1972 by Maxwell Atchisson specifically for the military, the AA-12 is
an auto assault 12 gauge shotgun capable of delivering 300 rounds per minute. It also
has tremendous versatility in terms of ammunition; everything from FRAG-12 HighExplosive rounds to titanium alloy heavy shot. It would become the weapon of choice
for Hale Caesar played by Terry Crews, described by Stallone as “an untapped wealth
of talent, muscle and sensitivity.
Although he had handled weapons before, Crews admits to being a little
intimidated when it came to handling the AA-12.
“The biggest thing for me,” says
Crews, was learning how to respect the weapon. You have to be very, very, very careful
just loading the bullets. That sucker was total overkill!”
Stallone made the ‘Arkansas toothpick’, a balanced and weighted heavy dagger
as the weapon of choice for Lee Christmas.
Designed for throwing with a blade
anywhere from 12-20” long is carried in a holster across the back.
Stallone summed it all up when he said “I set out to make one of those films that
comes along once in a great while by taking an old formula and making it contemporary.
I feel we accomplished that; I'm very, very happy with the film."
CAST & FILMMAKERS IBIOS
SYLVESTER STALLONE has established worldwide recognition as an actor,
writer and director since he played the title role in his own screenplay of Rocky, which
won the Academy Award in 1976 for Best Picture.
Since that seminal motion picture, Rocky grew to a franchise of five sequels and
in 2006 Stallone concluded the series with Rocky Balboa, a critical and audience
success which resolutely confirmed both Stallone and Rocky as iconic cultural symbols.
In addition, to commemorate a character which has become as real as any living person
to film-going audiences around the world, a statue of Rocky Balboa was placed at the
foot of the now-famous steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum at a dedication ceremony
presided over by the Mayor.
Recently, Stallone wrote, directed and starred in Rambo, which continued the
saga of Vietnam vet John Rambo twenty five years after the debut of Rambo: First
Blood. For this latest installment, Stallone took the company on location to the inner
jungles of Burma basing the compelling story in a country where crimes against
humanity, civil war and genocide have existed for over 60 years – and no one is doing
anything about it.
Currently, he is working on his most ambitious project to date, the action thriller
The Expendables¸ which he has written, directs and stars in, and for which he has hired
an all star cast including Jason Statham, Mickey Rourke, Jet Li, Eric Roberts, Dolph
Lungren and Steve Austin. Sly took the company on location to the interior of Brazil and
the city streets of New Orleans, filming over just a few short months.
Born in New York City, Stallone attended school in suburban Philadelphia where
he first started acting, and also became a star football player. He then spent two years
instructing at the American College of Switzerland in Geneva.
Returning to the United States, he enrolled as a drama major at the University of
Miami and also began to write. Stallone left college to pursue an acting career in New
York City, but the jobs did not come easily. By 1973, Stallone had auditioned for almost
every casting agent in New York and had gone on thousands of acting calls, with little
success.
During this period, he turned more and more to writing, churning out numerous
screenplays while waiting for his acting break. The opportunity first came in 1974 when
he was cast as one of the leads in The Lords of Flatbush.
He also received his first writing credit for “additional dialogue” on this film.
With the money earned from that film, Stallone left New York for Hollywood. He
again began to make the rounds of studios and casting agents, managing to get a few
small roles in television and movies. He also continued to pursue writing.
Prize fighter Rocky Balboa was born and given life in a script Stallone wrote in
longhand. Several producers offered to buy the screenplay, wanting to cast a name
star in the title role, which Stallone insisted on playing himself.
Although his bank balance was barely $100, Stallone held fast with his
perseverance finally paying off in a big way.
In addition to Rocky Balboa and Rambo, Stallone’s credits as actor/writer/director
are Rocky II and Paradise Alley. As actor and co-writer, Stallone filmed F.I.S.T., First
Blood, Rambo: First Blood Part II, Rhinestone and Rambo III. He co-wrote, directed
and produced Staying Alive and starred in Nighthawks, Victory, Tango & Cash and Lock
Up. Rocky V, starring and written by Stallone and directed by John Avildsen, opened in
1990.
He also starred in Demolition Man, which set box-office records for it’s Fall 1993
release and in the films The Specialist, Assassins and Daylight.
Stallone starred in the challenging and unique role of Freddy Heflin, in the
Miramax feature film Copland, which has garnered him further international critical and
audience acclaim.
He had the starring role in Get Carter for Warner Brothers co-starring Michael
Caine, which opened in the Fall of 2000. Stallone wrote and starred in the number one
box office race-car thriller Driven, co-starring Burt Reynolds and Christian de la Fuente.
In addition, he filmed Avenging Angelo, co-starring Madeline Stowe. Both films were for
the Warner Bros. Studios
Stallone also starred in the role of The Toymaker for director Robert Rodriguez in
the hit film Spy Kids 3, the final installment of that successful film franchise.
In addition, he was associated with The Contender, a powerful and actionpacked unscripted series which aired for the first season on the NBC Television
Network and which now airs on ESPN.
Stallone is one of the founding partners in Planet Hollywood, the internationally
famous chain of entertainment complexes, which includes the Planet Hollywood Las
Vegas Resort and Casino.
In 2002 Stallone was honored by the Video Dealers Software Association when
he was presented with the “Action Star of the Millennium Award” at the Organization’s
21st Annual Convention.
JASON STATHAM was plucked from obscurity by Guy Ritchie who was looking
to cast an unknown in the film “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.” Statham went
on to work with Ritchie again in “Snatch,” starring opposite Brad Pitt and Benicio Del
Toro and “Revolver” with Mark Strong. In 2002, Luc Besson cast Statham in the title
role of Frank Martin in “The Transporter.” The film was an international success that
continued to grow in popularity with the sequels “Transporter 2” and the 2009
“Transporter 3.” In 2003 Statham starred in the summer blockbuster “The Italian Job”
opposite Charlize Theron and Mark Wahlberg.
Statham went on to solidify himself as an action star in the massive underground
cult film “Crank” where he plays the adrenaline-compromised action hero. Statham
gained critical acclaim in the 2008 Roger Donaldson film “The Bank Job,” a true story of
the 1971 Baker Street bank robbery.
Statham other film credits include “The One”
“Cellular”, “WAR”, “London” the remake of “Death Race” directed by Paul WS Anderson
and “Crank 2”.
This summer Statham will be seen alongside some of the world’s
biggest actions stars in Sylvester Stallone’s highly anticipated “The Expendables.” He
is currently filming opposite Clive Owen the action thriller “The Killer Elite”, based on Sir
Ranulph Feinnes' bestselling novel.
JET LI Born in Beijing, Li began practicing Wushu (Chinese martial arts) at age
eight. Three years later, he won his first national championship as a member of the
Beijing Wushu Team and remained the All-Around National Champion from 1974 to
1979. Jet made history with his 1974 two-man fight performance at the White House for
President Nixon, shortly after American diplomatic relations reopened with China.
During this time he also represented China through martial arts demonstrations in over
45 nations.
At the pinnacle of the sport at age seventeen, he decided to begin a film career
and his first film, Shaolin Temple, remains one of the most beloved films in China and
around the world. The success of the film propelled Jet to a full-fledged Chinese movie
star and national hero. The box office popularity of his subsequent 25 films secured his
stardom in Asia. In 1998 Li moved on to Hollywood with the blockbuster Lethal Weapon
4 opposite Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, directed by Richard Donner.
2008 saw Jet Li as the villain in the Universal feature “The Mummy: The Tomb of
the Dragon Emperor,” the 3rd installment of the hugely successful “The Mummy”
franchise with co-star Brenden Fraser. Rob Cohen directed the feature which was
filmed on location in China and Montreal.
The family film “The Forbidden Kingdom”, in which Li plays an ancient Chinese
martial arts warrior with fellow martial arts expert Jackie Chan, also proved a huge hit
with audiences worldwide.
2007 saw the release of Lionsgate’s action-packed thriller “War,” alongside costar Jason Statham. The Expendables will mark their thrd time working together.
In 2006 he starred in the Focus Features biopic, “Fearless” directed by Ronni Yu.
Li played Chinese Martial Arts legend Huo Yuanjia, who became the most famous
fighter in all of China at the turn of the 20th Century.
An international celebrity, Li is a box office phenomenon on both sides of the
Pacific.
Recent Chinese-language films include acclaimed Chinese director Zhang
Yimou’s Hero (also starring Zhang Ziyi, Maggie Cheung, and Tony Leung and grossing
175 million world-wide) and Peter Chan’s The Warlords, for which Li won for Best Actor
at the 2008 Hong Kong Film Awards. This was the first time in the awards’ history that
a martial arts actor had received the award.
In 2004, while on vacation with his family in Maldives, Jet survived the Southeast
Asian Tsunami.
His survival gave Jet the courage to take the first step towards
philanthropy and charity. Today Jet comes before us as a philanthropist and an NGO
leader. Since establishing the Jet Li One Foundation in 2007 and putting all movie
projects on hold for 2008, he has devoted his time and thought to creating a 21st
century philanthropic business model centered around professionalism, transparency,
impact, and sustainability in order to raise awareness for philanthropy and to promote
individual social responsibility around the world. His achievements have been widely
recognized by government, NGOs, and the business community within China and in the
international community.
The Jet Li One Foundation believes that 1 person + 1 dollar +1 month = 1 big
family.
Says Li, “If each person donates one dollar each month, our individual
donations will be transformed into a much greater fund. When we combine our
charitable strength, we can make much greater impact to help those in need.” To
participate in this cause, please visit www.onefoundation.cn.
DOLPH LUNDGREN was born and raised in an academic middle-class family in
Stockholm, Sweden.
Despite an early interest in playing the drums and clowning
around in high school comedies, Dolph decided to follow in his father’s and older
brother’s cerebral footsteps and pursue an engineering degree. After having completed
his military service in the Swedish Marine Corps, Dolph enrolled in the Royal Institute of
Technology in Stockholm, studying the same subject as his older brother: Chemical
Engineering. He attended both Washington State University and Clemson University in
South Carolina, studying Chemistry. He graduated from The Royal Institute of
Technology in Stockholm, completing his Master’s Degree in Chemical Engineering on
an exchange program with the University of Sydney in Australia. Graduating at the
head of his class, Dolph was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to the prestigious
Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston, one of the world’s top engineering
schools.
That same year a young PhD student Dolph met exotic singer Grace Jones, fell
in love and decided to move to New York City to take up modeling to make some extra
cash. ‘A bit too muscular for a model’s size 40’, Dolph was to begin at MIT a few
months later. On a friend’s advice: ‘Hey man, you look like you should be in the
movies...’. So this is where it all began.
His motion picture debut came in the James Bond feature A View To A Kill in
1985. However, it was Dolph’s memorable performance in Rocky IV later that year that
definitely got him noticed worldwide. After a nine-month audition process among 5,000
hopefuls, Dolph was cast by writer-director Sylvester Stallone as his fearsome Russian
opponent, Captain Ivan Drago. Dolph grit his teeth and managed to build quite a career
as an international action-hero and has since starred in more than thirty feature films.
Throughout the years, Dolph has always stayed close to the martial arts: ‘Karate
and physical fitness have kept me reasonably sane in a very tough and sometimes
inhuman business’. In 1997 Dolph was awarded his third degree black belt by the World
Karate Organization in Tokyo. Dolph’s other athletic accomplishments include being the
captain of the Swedish National Karate Team and the individual champion of the
Swedish, European and Australian Heavyweight Full Contact Divisions. In addition to
his Karate expertise, Dolph was selected by the U.S. Olympic Committee to serve as
the Team Leader of the U.S. Olympic Pentathlon Team during the 1996 Atlanta Olympic
Games.
As well as being a seasoned actor, Dolph has directed five feature films. His
production company Thor Pictures is currently developing several project’s in which he
will produce, star and direct. His latest directing project is a feature he co-wrote and
directed, Command Performance produced by Avi Lerner and NuImage Films. ‘Years
of experience in front of the camera does give me a certain edge in my favorite part of
directing: working with the actors’, Dolph says.
Dolph is also a founding member of ‘Group of Eight’ an off-Broadway theatre
group started in 1994. ‘I’m currently speaking to a Swedish director about doing stage
in Sweden. It would be a first on two fronts: a full-length stage play and also in Swedish.
All my acting so far has been in English and performing in my native ‘emotional
language’ would be very exciting’.
In February 2009 Dolph co-starred with fellow action star Jean-Claude Van
Damme in Universal Soldier - Regeneration, a sequel to the film that paired the two
European actors in the 90’s. Last summer, Dolph also wrapped The Expendables -- a
modern day Dirty Dozen action extravaganza written and directed by Sylvester Stallone.
‘It’s been terrific to work with Sly again and he has created very colorful character for
me’, says Lundgren. ‘A real acting challenge’. In this film, slated for release this year,
Dolph co-stars with Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Lee, Mickey Rourke and Randy
Couture.
Shortly after Rocky IV, Dolph released his workout video, Maximum Potential.
He is currently working on a fitness book for men. In addition to the book, Dolph is also
developing a personalized organic brand of vitamins and supplements, as well as a
men’s skin care product line.
Dolph Lundgren is married to Anette Qviberg-Lundgren, an interior decorator and
fashion stylist. The couple, along with their two daughters, currently resides in London
and Marbella, Spain.
ERIC ROBERTS is an Academy Award nominee for his role in Runaway Train
and a three-time Golden Globe nominee for Runaway Train, Star 80, and King of the
Gypsies. He won a Golden Satellite Award for the 2002 season of Less Than Perfect,
now in syndication on Lifetime.
In addition, Roberts received critical acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival for his
roles in A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints in 2006 and It’s My Party in 1996. He
starred in La Cucaracha, which won Best Film at the Austin Film Festival in 1998, and
for which Roberts won Best Actor at the New York Independent Film Festival that same
year. Other notable performances include his roles in Final Analysis, The Pope of
Greenwich Village, Raggedy Man, Hollywood Dreams, Babyfever, Heaven’s Prisoners,
The Specialist, and most recently The Dark Knight, starring opposite Christian Bale. His
highly anticipated reunion with Mickey Rourke and Sylvester Stallone will occur in the
upcoming The Expendables.
On television, Roberts has received international attention for recent roles in
NBC’s Heroes, Entourage and The L Word. He also made a profound impact in the
Emmy-nominated adaptation of Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, directed by Jonathan
Kaplan and co-starring Anthony Edwards. He joined the cast of the Starz series Crash
for its second season, playing the kind of complex character Roberts is known for.
Roberts has also diversified into music videos, appearing in Sophie Muller’s Mr.
Brightside video for The Killers, and Brett Ratner’s video for Mariah Carey’s
Emancipation of Mimi--both award winners. One of his most popular recent
appearances was as the surprised recipient of a heart-felt shout out from The Wrestler’s
Mickey Rourke at the 2009 Independent Spirit Awards.
In 1989, Eric won the Theatre World Award for his role on Broadway in Burn
This. He returned to the New York stage in 2003 in The Exonerated and appeared in
the show’s touring company as well.
Roberts was born in Biloxi, Mississippi, and grew up in and around the Atlanta
area. He began his career as an actor in his late teens in New York City on the soap
opera Another World, from which he was let go for changing dialogue.
If you ask Roberts today, he will tell you he has more than retained his passion
for acting, but that there have been some additions to his repertoire of which he is most
proud, namely his daughter Emma Roberts, and his step kids, Morgan and Keaton
Simons.
RANDY COUTURE recently starred opposite Jet Li, Jason Statham and Mickey
Rourke in the 60 million film The Expendables for actor-director Sylvester Stallone. He
will next star opposite Karl Urban in director Damien Lichenstein’s (3000 Miles To
Graceland) 15 mil film Relentless.
Randy also starred in David Mamet’s Red Belt for Sony Classics followed by
starring role in Universal’s The Scorpion King: The Akkadian. Additionally, Spike TV
has been developing a one-hour drama for Randy to star in.
Randy’s autobiography Becoming The Natural came out earlier last year and was
many times on the NY TIMES Bestseller List. Finally, Randy played a recurring
character on CBS’ The Unit, with an episode specifically written for Randy recently
airing.
Randy fought last year in front of a sold-out audience to regain his title as UFC
HEAVYWIEGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD. At 44, Randy came out of retirement
to shock the world by re-capturing the Heavyweight belt and proved beyond a doubt this
weekend that the oldest fighter on the circuit was able to defeat the bigger, stronger,
younger and odds-on favorite (Gabriel Gonzaga.) If Randy was an icon and poster-boy
for the sport before as a 5 time World Champion and Hall-of-Famer, he is now a legend
in what everyone agrees is the fastest growing sport. The highly anticipated event was
a huge financial success earning more than 50 million on pay-per-view. Randy recently
defended his title against Brock Lesner in what may have been the biggest pay-per-view
event in the history of the UFC.
DAVID ZAYAS A former New York City police officer, David Zayas began his
acting career when he teamed up with Philip Seymour Hoffman at the Labyrinth Theater
Company.
Since then, Zayas has starred in more than 30 plays, including "Jesus Hopped
The 'A' Train," "In Arabia We'd All Be Kings" and "Our Lady Of 121st St." While
performing in New York plays, he began to book roles on hit TV shows such as New
York Undercover, Law & Order and NYPD Blue, all while working for the New York
Police Department.
Zayas' success earned him a leading role on UPN's crime drama The Beat. Soon
after, Tom Fontana (writer of The Beat) created the character of 'Enrique Morales,' the
fierce leader of the Latino prisoners on HBO's Oz, especially for Zayas.
His feature film credits include Bringing Out The Dead, The Yards, Undefeated,
Wit, Angel and The Interpreter. He also recently starred in the feature film Michael
Clayton opposite George Clooney, and The Savages with Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Zayas was also seen in Sixteen Blocks opposite Bruce Willis, and in the ABC
mini-series The Path To 9/11, as well as on Broadway in the Pulitzer Prize-winning
"Anna In the Tropics," and he starred in the film Flying By opposite Heather Locklear.
Next year, Zayas will star in the highly anticipated films The Expendables
alongside
Hollywood
heavy
hitters,
including
Sylvester
Stallone,
Arnold
Schwarzenegger, and Mickey Rourke and 13, where he stars alongside Jason Statham,
Mickey Rourke; and 50 Cent. For his role on Dexter, Zayas was recently nominated for
an Imagen Award.
TERRY CREWS Former NFL football player, Terry Crews traded in his helmet
and cleats to pursue an acting career and become the ultimate family man. He is now
more commonly known for his natural wit and comedic timing in his family’s new hit BET
reality series The Family Crews. The show premiered on February 21, 2010 bringing in
1.4 million viewers, which is a 144% increase in the timeslot compared to the same
period last year.
BET had also ordered a second season of the reality show.
Additionally, Terry is set to star in the TBS series Are We There Yet? produced by Ice
Cube. Terry will reprise the roll that Ice Cube played in the hit Revolution Studios film of
the same name. TBS has ordered 10 episodes of the new sitcom, slated to premiere in
June 2010.
Terry will next be seen on the big screen in the August 13th Lionsgate release of
The Expendables starring opposite Sylvester Stallone and then in the actioner Middle
Men starring with Luke Wilson and Kelsey Grammer for Paramount.
After retiring from the NFL in 1997, Terry pursued an acting career. A stint as TMoney on Battle Dome (modeled on American Gladiators) followed. In 2000, Crews
made his big screen debut in The 6th Day. Since then he has landed roles in Serving
Sara (2002), Friday After Next (2002), Deliver Us from Eva (2003), Malibu's Most
Wanted (2003), Starsky & Hutch (2004), Soul Plane (2004), White Chicks (2004), and
the Mike Judge film, Idiocracy (2006). In The Longest Yard, Terry starred with Chris
Rock, but on Everybody Hates Chris, Crews stars as the father, Julius, of a young Chris
Rock.
Terry frequently plays buffed-looking characters with a humorous softer side, but
more recently, he has been able to alternate with more serious projects such as his
recent appearances in “Harsh Times,” “Inland Empire” and “Street Kings.”
Terry Crews was born in Flint, Michigan and attended Flint Southwestern
Academy. He earned an Art Excellence Scholarship to attend the Interlochen Center for
the Arts and then Western Michigan University. While completing his studies as an Art
major, Terry was a key member of the WMU football team, where he earned allconference honors as a defensive end. Crews was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams of
the NFL in the 11th round of the 1991 NFL Draft. He carved out a career that lasted six
seasons, including stints with the Los Angeles Rams, San Diego Chargers, Washington
Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles. While in the NFL, Crews used his art talent by
painting a line of NFL licensed lithographs for Sierra Sun Editions.
Terry lives in Los Angeles with his wife of nearly twenty years, Rebecca, a former
beauty queen and Christian recording artist, and their five children.
MICKEY ROURKE
most recently starred in Darren Aronofsky’s THE
WRESTLER, which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor and wins
for Best Actor for the Golden Globes, BAFTA and Independent Spirit Awards. The film
was awarded the Gold Lion at the Venice Film Festival. Rourke’s performance in the
film garnered widespread acclaim, typified by Variety’s words that Rourke "creates a
galvanizing, humorous, deeply moving portrait that instantly takes [its] place among the
great, iconic screen performances."
Rourke’s career is one marked by his ability to create riveting performances and
to leave indelible impressions on audiences. His impressive list of feature credits
include John Madden’s Killshot, Tony Scott’s Domino, Robert Rodriguez’s Sin City,
Tony Scott’s Man On Fire, Larry Charles’ Masked And Anonymous, Robert Rodriguez’s
Once Upon A Time In Mexico, Steve Buscemi’s Animal Factory, and Francis Ford
Coppola’s The Rainmaker. More than a mere celebrity, Rourke earned a place for
himself in Hollywood with his stellar ability to leave audiences with indelible impressions
in earlier films, including Michael Cimino’s Desperate Hours, Alan Parker’s Angel Heart,
Mike Hodges’ A Prayer For The Dying, Adrian Lyne’s Nine 1/2 Weeks, Michael Cimino’s
Year Of The Dragon, Stuart Rosenberg’s The Pope Of Greenwich Village, Barry
Levinson’s Diner, Lawrence Kasdan’s Body Heat, Francis Ford Coppola’s Rumble Fish,
Michael Cimino’s Heaven’s Gate and Stephen Spielberg’s 1941.
Rourke is currently starring in the highly anticipated blockbuster sequel, IRON
MAN 2 directed by Jon Favreau, where he stars opposite Robert Downey Jr., Don
Cheadle, Gwenyth Paltrow and Scarlett Johansson. He can next be seen in Sylvester
Stallone’s action thriller The Expendables, opposite Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham
and Jet Li.
Rourke recently completed shooting Passion Play directed by Mitch Glazer
where he stars opposite Megan Fox and is presently shooting the Greek mythology epic
Immortals directed by Tarsem.
BRUCE WILLIS has demonstrated incredible versatility in a career that has
included such diverse characterizations as the prizefighter in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp
Fiction (1994 Palme D’Or winner at Cannes), the philandering contractor in Robert
Benton’s Nobody’s Fool, the heroic time traveler in Terry Gilliam’s 12 Monkeys, the
traumatized Vietnam veteran in Norman Jewison’s In Country, the compassionate child
psychologist in M. Night Shyamalan’s Oscar-nominated The Sixth Sense (for which he
won the People’s Choice Award) and his signature role, Detective John McClane, in the
Die Hard quadrilogy.
Following studies at Montclair State College’s prestigious theater program, the
New Jersey native honed his craft in several stage plays and countless television
commercials, before landing the leading role in Sam Shepard’s 1984 stage drama “Fool
for Love,” a run which lasted for 100 performances off-Broadway.
Willis next won international stardom and several acting awards, including Emmy
and Golden Globe honors, for his starring role as private eye David Addison in the hit
TV series Moonlighting, winning the role over 3,000 other contenders. At the same
time, He made his motion picture debut opposite Kim Basinger in Blake Edwards’
romantic comedy Blind Date.
In 1988, he originated the role of John McClane in the blockbuster film, Die Hard,
one of the highest-grossing releases of the year. He later reprised the character in three
sequels-Die Hard: Die Harder (1990), Die Hard: With A Vengeance (1995’s global boxoffice champ) and Live Free, Die Hard (one of the box-office hits of summer 2007)
His wide array of film roles includes collaborations with such respected
filmmakers as Michael Bay (Armageddon), M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense and
Unbreakable), Alan Rudolph (Mortal Thoughts, Breakfast of Champions), Walter Hill
(Last Man Standing), Robert Benton (Billy Bathgate, Nobody’s Fool,), Rob Reiner (The
Story of Us), Ed Zwick (The Siege), Luc Besson (The Fifth Element), Barry Levinson
(Bandits, What Just Happened), Robert Zemeckis (Death Becomes Her) and Robert
Rodriguez (Sin City, Grind House) .
Other motion picture credits include The Jackal, Mercury Rising, Hart’s War, The
Whole Nine Yards (and its sequel The Whole Ten Yards), The Kid, Tears of the Sun,
Hostage, 16 Blocks, Alpha Dog, Lucky Number Slevin and Perfect Stranger. He also
voiced the character of the wise-cracking infant, Mikey, in Look Who’s Talking and Look
Who’s Talking Too as well as the lead character RJ & Spike in the animated hit features
Over the Hedge and Rugrats Go Wild!
Willis was most recently seen on the big screen opposite Tracey Morgan in the
Kevin Smith directed action/comedy feature Cop Out. He has completed production on
the feature film RED opposite Helen Mirren, Morgan Freeman and John Malkovich, and
will soon begin shooting the action feature Kane and Lynch with Jamie Foxx.
In addition to his work before the cameras, Willis produced Hostage and The
Whole Nine Yards and executive produced Breakfast of Champions, adapted from Kurt
Vonnegut’s best-selling novel. With brother David Willis and business partner Stephen
Eads, he co-founded Willis Brothers Films, a film production company based in Los
Angeles.
Willis also maintains a hand in the theater. In 1997, he co-founded A Company
of Fools, a non-profit theater troupe committed to developing and sustaining stage work
in the Wood River Valley of Idaho, and throughout the U.S. He starred in and directed a
staging of Sam Shepard’s dark comedy True West at the Liberty Theater in Hailey,
Idaho. The play, which depicts the troubled relationship between two brothers, was
aired on Showtime and dedicated to Willis’ late brother Robert.
An accomplished musician as well, Willis recorded the 1986 Motown album The
Return of Bruno, which went platinum and contained the No. 5 Billboard hit “Respect
Yourself.” Three years later, he recorded a second album If It Don’t Kill You, It Just
Makes You Stronger. In 2002, he launched a U.S. club tour with his musical group,
Bruce Willis and the Blues Band and he traveled to Iraq to play for U.S. service men.
GOVERNOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER The world knows Arnold
Schwarzenegger as a famous bodybuilder and a Hollywood action hero, but he is also a
successful businessman, generous philanthropist and California's 38th Governor.
Governor Schwarzenegger's most notable accomplishments in his first six years
in office include the nation-leading Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 - a bipartisan
agreement to combat global warming by reducing California's greenhouse gas
emissions - and overhauling the state's workers' compensation system - cutting costs by
more than 35 percent. In addition, Governor Schwarzenegger is the first governor in
decades to make major investments in improving California's aging infrastructure
through his Strategic Growth Plan, helping to reduce congestion and clean the air. He
established the Hydrogen Highway and Million Solar Roofs Plan, continuing his
leadership in creating a greener environment. In November 2009, more than three
years of leadership by Governor Schwarzenegger culminated with the passage of the
Safe, Clean and Reliable Drinking Water Supply Act of 2010.
As Governor, he has been California's most effective marketing tool, traveling
across the country and around the world promoting California-grown products, cuttingedge technologies and the state's diverse travel destinations. In addition, using his
background as an internationally recognized athlete, Governor Schwarzenegger has
made restoring health and fitness a top priority. He signed legislation making the state's
school nutrition standards the most progressive in the nation and continues to promote
healthy habits by taking harmful trans fats out of California restaurants and ensuring
nutritional information is available to diners. To improve classrooms across the state
and ensure that all California’s students have access to the world-class education they
need to grow, thrive and succeed, Governor Schwarzenegger has led the reform to
make California competitive for up to $700 million in federal Race to the Top funds.
Additionally, since he took office, Governor Schwarzenegger has worked to
reform California's fiscal policies, create a better business environment, reduce burdens
on employment, boost exports and stimulate job growth. Through the end of 2007,
California's Gross State Product had grown by 29 percent since the governor took office
in 2003.
This world-famous athlete and actor was born in Austria in 1947, and at 20
became the youngest person ever to win the Mr. Universe title. He came to America
shortly after, winning an unprecedented 12 more world bodybuilding titles. Challenging
both his body and mind, he earned a college degree from the University of Wisconsin
and became a U.S. citizen in 1983. Three years later, he married broadcast journalist
Maria Shriver.
Governor Schwarzenegger's most gratifying accomplishments are rooted in
public service - committing his time, energy and personal finances to charitable
organizations around the world.
He and Maria have remained closely involved in
Special Olympics, an organization founded by Maria's mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver.
He was named Special Olympics International Weight Training Coach in 1979 and
serves as a Global Ambassador.
Recognizing his passion for helping kids, in 1990 former President George Bush
appointed Governor Schwarzenegger Chair of the President's Council on Physical
Fitness and Sports, in which capacity he traveled all 50 states and recognized the
overwhelming need for more after-school alternatives. He also served as Chair of the
California Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports under Governor Pete
Wilson.
Governor Schwarzenegger has committed himself to promoting physical
education and after-school programs. In 2002, his support for Proposition 49, the AfterSchool Education & Safety Act, led it to overwhelming victory. As Governor, he has
aggressively worked to increase after-school funding, making California the first state in
the nation to significantly invest in a comprehensive after-school program.
His many accomplishments have earned him the praise of numerous
organizations, including the Simon Wiesenthal Center's "National Leadership Award" for
his support of the organization's Holocaust studies. Schwarzenegger was the only actor
to be in both categories of the American Film Institute’s Hundred Years of Heroes and
Villains. In 2002, Schwarzenegger was given the esteemed honor of the Muhammad Ali
Humanitarian Award, presented to him by Ali, a longtime friend and sports mentor.
Governor Schwarzenegger and his wife Maria Shriver have four children Katherine, Christina, Patrick and Christopher.
JOHN THOMPSON (Producer) has a body of work in the Italian film industry
throughout the 1980s and 90s includes Franco Zeffirelli’s Othello (two Oscar
nominations, Cannes main competition, American Critics Award); Claude D’anna’s
Salome (Cannes main competition); Lina Wertmuller’s Camorra (four Donatello
Awards, Berlin Film Fest official entry); Liliana Cavani’s Berlin Interior (Donatello
Awards, Berlin official selection) and Paul Schrader’s Comfort of Strangers (Cannes
official selection), among others.
Thompson returned to Los Angeles to helm production for Millennium Films in
1998. With Millennium, he has produced or co-produced American Perfekt (Cannes
official selection), Shadrach (Venice official selection), Some Girl (LA Independent
Film Festival winner for Best Director), Guinevere; Big Brass Ring, Prozac Nation, The
Replicant, Undisputed and other successful productions. Most recently, he produced
16 Blocks, 88 Minutes,The Black Dahlia starring Josh Hartnett, Scarlett Johansson
and Hilary Swank, and Rambo IV.
KEVIN KING TEMPLETON’s (Producer) career has led him to work with such
acclaimed acting heavyweights as Robert De Niro, Sylvester Stallone, Harvey Keitel,
Mickey Rourke, Michael Caine and Anthony Quinn; producing such films as Rambo IV,
Rocky Balboa, Copland, Get Carter and executive producing Driven and Avenging
Angelo.
Working the last 20 years making films at Rogue Marble Productions, Sylvester
Stallone's production company, King-Templeton found his forte in the action genre. His
films have taken him to all points of the globe including; the jungles, remote fishing
villages and iconic vistas of Brazil; the jungles of Thailand under the watchful eye of the
nearby dictatorial Burmese government; Canada’s Whistler’s Mountain in the dead of
winter; the Death Valley; the streets of Philadelphia, New York and Miami; and under
the glittering lights of Las Vegas.
As a producer King-Templeton has also overseen some of the most astounding
action sequences in film history including; the high octane scenes in Renny Harlin’s
Driven; James Mangold’s Copland, Stallone’s Rambo IV and Rocky Balboa; as well as
his early work on Rob Cohen’s Daylight.
For television, King-Templeton developed and produced a pilot for Paramount
Television and CBS called Father Lefty.
In February of 2008, King-Templeton received the LA-Italia Award for Best
Producer for Rocky Balboa at the 3rd annual Los Angeles Italian Film, Fashion, and Art
Festival.
The English born King-Templeton has also served as vice president of marketing
for "Pop Star" Magazine.
With over 250 films to his credit, AVI LERNER (Producer), Co-chairman of Nu
Image / Millennium Films, is one of the most experienced producers and distributors
of independent films in the international motion picture industry.
Born and raised in Israel, Lerner’s career in the film business began as the
manager of Israel’s first drive-in cinema. He acquired a chain of movie theaters while
simultaneously producing several low-budget features. He anticipated the explosion of
home video rental in l979 and pioneered the largest specialized video distribution
company in Israel, becoming a partner in the largest theatrical distribution company in
Israel.
In 1984, he was executive producer in Zimbabwe of the remake of King
Solomon’s Mines and the sequel Alan Quartermain and the Lost City of Gold. He sold
his Israeli company and relocated to Johannesburg, South Africa, where he founded the
Nu Metro Entertainment Group. He went on to own and operate theaters, a video
distribution division representing top studios and independent companies, and a
production arm that made over 60 features in Zimbabwe and South Africa which were
distributed worldwide by major studios.
Lerner’s next professional moves were to sell Nu Metro and to join MGM
United Artists while still producing movies. A year later, he moved to Los Angeles
where he founded Nu Image with Danny Dimbort, Trevor Short and Danny Lerner. A
string of successful films followed until Nu Image developed and maintained an
enviable reputation as a producer and distributor of high quality, low budget action
pictures for the international and domestic markets.
In 1996 Nu Image formed Millennium Films to address the market’s growing need
for quality theatrical films and higher budget action features, while Nu Image continued
to cater to the lucrative international home-video market. Between the two divisions,
over 230 films have been produced since 1992,
Under the Millennium label, Lerner has produced numerous titles, including
Lonely Hearts starring John Travolta, Black Dahlia with Hilary Swank, 16 Blocks starring
Bruce Willis, 88 Minutes starring Al Pacino, The Contract with Morgan Freeman, Rambo
IV directed by and starring Sylvester Stallone and Righteous Kill starring Al Pacino and
Robert De Niro. Upcoming releases include Sylvester Stallone’s The Expendables.
Nu Image/Millennium Films currently develop, finance, produce and distribute
approximately 15-18 pictures a year with budgets ranging from three to sixty million
dollars, shooting in locations around the world.
DANNY DIMBORT (Executive Producer) began his entertainment career with the
Israeli distribution company Golan-Globus Films and became managing director within
two years. In 1980, he moved to Los Angeles to join Cannon Films as head of foreign
sales, and then returned to Israel to produce several feature films, prior to joining
Cannon/Pathe back in Los Angeles, where he was in charge of distribution. He was
president of international distribution at MGM until 1991, when he formed Nu Image with
Avi Lerner, as Co-Chairman in charge of sales and marketing.
TREVOR SHORT (Executive Producer) was born in Harare and studied Law at
the University of Zimbabwe. He obtained an MBA degree at the University of Cape
Town, where he was awarded the Gold Medal of Merit. After obtaining his law degree,
Short entered the world of banking and commerce. He headed the Corporate Finance
Division at Investec Bank in Johannesburg before joining Nu Metro Entertainment as
Managing Director. Following the acquisition of Nu Metro, Short became Managing
Director of Nu World Services, a film production company based in Johannesburg. In
this capacity, Short produced films both in South Africa and outside the country.
BOAZ DAVIDSON (Executive Producer) is a prolific filmmaker who has
produced some 75 motion pictures, written over 30 and directed over 40 films. His
many credits include directing Lemon Popsicle, Looking for Lola, Outside the Law, Solar
Force, Salsa, Going Bananas, Dutch Treat and The Last American Virgin. Born in Tel
Aviv, Davidson began his association with Nu Image / Millennium Films in 1995, and he
currently serves as the company’s head of production and creative affairs.
LES WELDON’s (Executive Producer) filmography is as action packed as the
films he has made. Currently he is in Sofia Bulgaria producing Conan starring Jason
Momoa, Ron Perlman, Stephen Lang and Rose McGowan for Nu Image/Millennium
Films. Weldon’s diverse writing and producing career has led him not only to the action
genre, but comedies, sci-fi, fantasy and family films.
He has worked on over 30 films with actors such as Morgan Freeman, John
Cusack, Sir Ben Kingsley, Antonio Banderas, Cuba Gooding Jr., Ray Liotta, Marisa
Tomei, Eric Roberts, Jean Smart, Jeff Fahey, Jean Claude Van Damme and Dolph
Lundgren. Born and raised in Brazil, Weldon came to America at fifteen, eventually
making his way to the University Southern California, where he majored in Business
Administration and minored in film.
Weldon caught his first break writing Point of Impact starring Michael Pare and
Michael Ironside. He continued writing films that included; Replicant, Cause of Death
with Patrick Bergin; Looking for Lola; Hidden Agenda; and City of Fear. Freefall was the
first film that Weldon began producing and writing. He continued in the dual role of
writer/producer with films like Target of Opportunity and Today You Die.
Wanting to expand his role as a producer, Weldon, began taking on larger
productions such as; War, Inc starring Cusack; The Code with Freeman and Banderas;
Command Performance; The Prince & Me 3: A Royal Honeymoon; and The Contract
starring Freeman and Cusack. The multi-lingual Weldon spends a good deal of his time
producing at Nu Image’s Nu Boyana Studios in Bulgaria, and their new studio in
Shreveport, Louisiana, and many location shoots in Brazil and New Orleans for
Expendables to name a few.
MATT O’TOOLE (Co-Producer) has been working in the film industry since he
was 14 when he was a production runner on Tim Burton’s Batman at England’s
legendary Pinewood Studios. Since then he has worked all over the world on big
budget epic productions including Evita, Billy Elliott, Troy, 3 films for acclaimed director
Ridley Scott: Academy Award Best Picture Winner Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven, Black
Hawk Down and the Emmy Award winning Steven Spielberg/Tom Hanks HBO miniseries Band of Brothers. Recently he worked on Brian De Palma’s “The Black Dahlia”
and the blockbuster sequel Rambo IV.
ROBERT IAN EARL (Co-Producer) A leading figure in the hospitality and food &
beverage industries, Robert Earl is the founder and CEO of Planet Hollywood
International, Inc and the chairman of the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las
Vegas, Nevada.
A lifetime entrepreneur, Earl founded President Entertainment in 1977, a
company specializing in theme restaurants that grew from a modest start-up to a
company valued at more than $100 million when he agreed to sell the company to
Pleasurama in 1998. Earl was invited by Pleasurama to join its executive team and
orchestrated the acquisition of Hard Rock Café. During his five-year tenure as the CEO
of Hard Rock Café, Earl oversaw the expansion of the brand from its initial seven units
to 22 units, and dramatically increased the Company’s profitability. This growth was a
direct result of aggressive marketing and non-stop positive press capitalizing on Earl’s
vision to use the allure of Celebrity and creative events to earn Hard Rock Café a
mystique that separated it from its competition.
During this same time period Earl was also a Director of Pelican Group PLC, and
oversaw tremendous growth of brands such as Café Rouge, Dôme, and Mamma Amalfi
all while increasing the profitability of each of the concepts, until its ultimate profitable
sale to Whitbread PLC.
In 1991, Earl founded the Planet Hollywood brand and brought theme dining to a
new level. As CEO of Planet Hollywood International, Inc., Earl negotiated celebrity
partnerships and orchestrated Hollywood-style premiere grand openings.
With his
expertise in creating a fully integrated and unique dining experience, Earl created a
brand that achieved global acclaim in just a few short years.
Earl became joint venture partners in 2003 with London Clubs with his purchase
of London’s famed 50 St. James, one of London’s most prestigious gaming addresses.
Operating under the name Fifty, the casino with its fine dining restaurants and hot
nightclub scene, has set a new standard for gaming establishments in the UK.
Additionally in 2003, Earl announced a partnership with Lord Sandwich, the 11th Earl of
Sandwich, to launch Earl of Sandwich shops in the United States. The first gourmet
sandwich shop opened in March, 2004, at Florida’s Walt Disney World Resort in the
Downtown Disney Marketplace.
In June, 2003, Earl, along with joint venture partners, Bay Harbour Management
LC and Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, purchased the Aladdin Resort and
Casino located in the heart of the famed Las Vegas Strip. After a complete head-to-toe
renovation, the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino was launched in 2007. The 2,600
room property features highly coveted restaurants, nightclubs, lounges, full service spa
and gym and a high-tech gaming floor. The entire resort is encircled by the Miracle Mile
Shops with more than 170 retail outlets. In early 2010 Earl and his partners sold the
Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino to Harrah’s Entertainment. HET now owns and
operates the property while Earl retained the license for the brand and remains
chairman of the resort.
In October 2006, Earl became a partner of a British Premiere League soccer
club. As a shareholder in the Everton Football Club, Earl is turning his love of sport into
a business venture.
In late 2008, to further solidify his place as a leader and pioneer of themed
restaurants, Earl acquired casual dining company, Buca Inc. and its chain of eightyeight Buca di Beppo restaurants throughout the United States. Since the acquisition,
Earl has injected his formidable energy into the franchise, revamping the menu to
include fresh, daily made sauces as well as new menu items to broaden the restaurants’
appeal, which embodies the Italian traditions of food, friendship and fun. The Buca di
Beppo chain, known for its quirky décor and upbeat atmosphere, has locations from
Albany to Honolulu.
Mr. Earl and his wife Tricia live in Orlando, FL., and have three children, Beth,
Cara and Robbie.
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